The Good King's Son

 

Once there was a great and mighty King who ruled over a great and mighty land. The King would spend all of his time living and playing with his people. Then one day one of the King's Lords, a person whom the Good King trusted greatly and had placed over his entire kingdom came to the Good King.

"My Lord." He began, "I can see how much the people love and adore you. How they hold you above all else."

"Yes." Replied the Good King.

"I also know how much they will dishonor you behind your back when you are not with them." The Good King's Lord continued, "I'll bet that if you were not here living among them that they would rise up against you and would over through you."

Upon hearing this the Good King ordered the Lord stripped of his title and tossed into the most desolate and forbidding place in his kingdom.

"You'll see!" the Lord shouted as he was being drug away. "All who will," the Lord commanded, "follow me." and one third of the Good King's army went with the lord to a place of great despair.

A little while later while the Good King was gone on a long trip the former lord went to the people and convinced them through trickery and lies that they should make him their King. So, the people rose up against the Good King and through him and his family out of the kingdom. They then proclaimed the Good King's Lord their new king.

As the years passed, the King's Lord kept increasing the people's tasks until he had completely enslaved them. He was nothing like the Good King who was very kind and loving. He was an evil King with a harsh taskmasters and very evil men ruling over the people. The evil King placed shackles on the people's legs and forced them to work in his fields. He never once let them have a day from their assigned work nor did he allow them to rest from their labors. Life was very bad for the people and they began to wish that the Good King would return and take over the kingdom once again so things could go back to the way they use to be.

Upon learning of this the evil King had everyone over the age of 20 years killed thinking that would remove the memory of the Good King and the Good King's kingdom out of the hearts and minds of the people. But, that did not stop the talk so the evil King ordered that everybody in his kingdom be killed.

Upon hearing about this, the Good King sent his servants to the people whom he loved very much to tell his people that he would return to regain his kingdom. The people rose up against the Good King's servants beating some of them and killed others. Some of the people after killing one of the servants took the servant's body and laid it at the evil King's feet hoping that this would bring the evil King's favor upon them. The evil King rewarded the people who had bore the servant's body by placing them over the other people. These people became even harsher taskmasters as they increased the burdens on the people.

However, there was one man and his family who refused to listen to the evil King. He continued to wait for the day when the Good King would return. Fearing for the man's life and the lives of his family, the Good King made a way of escape for them. He hid them in a cave until after the killing had stopped. This made the evil King very mad as he wanted to kill all of the people.

The Good King went to the Man and he said, "Never again will I allow this to happen. Go and raise your family knowing that I will always be protecting you."

The man saw a great love in the Good King’s eyes as he listened to what the Good King had to say.

"After this there will come a time when I will return to retake what has been taken from me." The Good King continued, "On that day you and your family will have a choice to make. Those who choose to live in my kingdom I will welcome as my children with open arms." The Good King's face began to change from loving to very sad. "Those who do not choose to live with me in my kingdom I will destroy along with the evil king and his army." A heaviness took over the Good King's voice as a tear began to run down his cheek.

After many years, the Good King was unable to listen to the cries of his people any longer so he called his only son and he gave his son charge over his armies. Now the son being a wise and loving leader like his father divided his forces into two groups. The first group, a much smaller force he lead himself to the battlefield while he ordered the second and much larger force to sneak around under the cover of darkness to out flank the evil King's forces.

As the sun rose in the morning sky there stood the two armies with a large valley between them. Just then, the Good King's son sent one of his servants across the valley to the evil King. When the servant arrived he said to the evil King, "Lay down your arms and surrender."

The evil King's reply was, "And if I refuse?"

The servant responded, "If you refuse you will be totally and utterly destroyed. You, your armies and those who choose to follow you."

The evil King looking out across the valley and seeing a much smaller army then his took the sword of a person standing near him, so his own sword would not be tarnished by the blood of the servant, and he thrust the servant through with the sword. Then the evil King shouted with a loud voice, "This is my answer!" as he tossed the dead body of the servant down the side of the hill while the laughter of his men echoed loudly off of the valley's walls.

Just then, the Good King's son commanded his smaller force to move forward. Upon seeing this, the evil King ordered his much larger force to advance toward the anticipated battle. The two armies moved slowly at first careful not to break their ranks until they both reached half way down the sides of the valley. Just then the Good King's army stopped and held its ground while the evil King's army began to run down the other side of the valley thinking that this would be an easy victory for them.

All of the sudden and without any warning the Good King's son ordered the trumpeters to blow their horns. This was the signal for the Good King's second and much larger force to advance to engage the evil King's army. As the second and much larger force swept through the evil King's forces, they killed every last one of the evil King's soldiers leaving their bodies on the battlefield where they had dropped.

The evil King upon seeing the slaughter of his army ran from the battlefield leaving his robe and crown behind. When the Good King's army reached the top of the hill where the evil King had been they took hold of the rode and crown and they placed them on the son. Just then a great silence fell over the Good King's army as the Good King approached his son.

"My son." The King proclaimed, "This day you will be held in the highest places in all my kingdom."

The King's son knelt before his father as his father the King drew his sword and lovingly placed it upon the son's shoulder.

"From this day forth," proclaimed the King, "my son shall be called the King of over all of the kings who rule in my land and the Lord over all of the lords who rule in my land. You will call him the Prince of Peace."

And with that the King removed his sword from off of his son's shoulder and helped his son to his feet as the King's army cheered and sang songs of the great victory over their enemy.

After the battle was over, the King's son walked around the battlefield, picking up the blood stained battle pennants from the dead soldiers banners, he gave them to several of the Good King's servants, ordering them to remove all of their clothing and to run to tell the people to prepare for him a great feast. The King's servants removed all of their clothing and ran off in different directions proclaiming the son's victory over the King's enemies and the restoration of the Good King's Kingdom.

This brought great joy to the hearts of the people as they removed their shackles and prepared for the great celebration. From every region of the kingdom the people put down their hues and plows to join in the celebration. They cheered and sang songs as the Good King's son and the Good King's Army rode past them on their way to the celebration.

As the procession entered the Great City of the King there were many people there singing and dancing with great joy in their hearts.

Just then a runner ran up to the good son and handed him a set of keys as he said something in the good son's ear.

"I have just been handed the keys to my father's kingdom." The good son held up the ring of keys for all to see.

Then the good son stood up and said, "I must leave you now."

Then one of the men standing next to him asked, "How long will you be gone Lord?"

And another man asked, "Why must you go Lord?"

The Good King's son replied, "I must return to my Father who has sent for me and I know not when I will return."

"However I will not leave you alone for I will leave you with my father's most trusted advisor." And he motioned to one of the men standing around him to come towards him. "This is my father’s advisor he will tell you everything my father has told to me." The good Son continued. "Listen to him and do what he tells you to do and be not afraid. He is here to help you and to counsel you." Whatever you need, tell the advisor and he will get it for you. If you have a problem, tell him and he will give you the solution."

Then the good son mounted his horse and rode away leaving the celebration behind.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Months turned into years and the good son still did not return and the people began to wonder what had happened to him.

Then one day several of the men began speaking against the good son saying that he has been delayed far too long and he must have been killed. These evil men sought to control the people so they made for themselves a list of rules for the people to follow. Others of the people said to themselves that the good son has been defeated by the evil King's army and they started returning to their labors in fear that when the evil king returns that he will find them and will kill all of them. They picked up their shackles and placed them back on their legs as they returned to the fields to work.

Then just as he promised he would the good son returned to find the people had placed his fathers advisor in a prison where he was tied and gagged. Some of the men had the people performing elaborate rituals while others had returned to the state they were in prior to his great victory. Upon seeing all of this a tear ran down the good son's face as he ordered his men to gather all of the people and to take them to the wall surrounding the Great City of the King. Then the good son entered the city to find many people there still celebrating and rejoicing in the city.

Climbing down off his horse the good son began celebrating along with the people who had stayed faithful and who had continued the celebration.

"Release the advisor." The good son commanded his men as he walked through the crowd.

"Lord what shall we do with the people you ordered held at the gate?" one of the good son's men ask.

"Let them hear the festivities and ponder their fate for a while longer." The good son commanded. "There will be plenty of time later to deal with them."

Several days passed before the good son ordered that his horse be brought to him and he mounted it. Then he rode to the gate of the great city where the crowd had been waiting to hear their fate.

Saying nothing the good son rode his horse back and forth in front of the crowd. Then he jumped off of his horse and began to speak. "What an evil and perverse generation this is. I commanded you to celebrate and you chose to dishonor me."

He walked over to a group of people who had replaced their shackles and grabbing a hold of the chains, he said. "I broke your bonds and you out of fear replaced them."

Then he walked over to the men who wanted to control the people and said, "I gave you my father's advisor to lead you and you imprisoned him and gagged him for your own glorifications and gratifications."

"This is the punishment meant for you. You will be taken to the place where I have imprisoned the evil king and his army and there you will stay for a time and a season after which you too will meet with his same fate as the evil king and his army. Now take them to the place of total desolation and despair."

Then the good son walked back into the great city with a heavy heart to rejoin the celebrations within.